Pneumatic tire.



A. H. MARKS. PNEUMATIC TIRE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 643,826. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

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. Patented Feb. 20, I900. A. H. MARKS. PNEUMATIC TIRE.

(Application med Apr. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet .2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. MARKS, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND RUBBER COMPANY,OF SAME PLACE.

PNEUMATIC-TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,826, dated February20, 1900. Application filed April 15,1899. Serial No. 713,126. (Nomodeh)To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MARKS, of Akron, in the county of Summitand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Tires, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements whereby the trouble andinconvenience resulting from the puncturing of a pneumatic tire while onthe road may be quickly overcome without removing the tire from thewheel or patching or plugging the perforation.

My improvement relates more particularly to that class of pneumatictires known as single-tube or hose-pipe tires, which when punctured aredifficult to repair, especially bynovices. Numerous expedients such aspatching-strips, emergency air-tubes, internal diaphragms, and the like-have been suggested for repairing tires of this class; but so far as Iam aware no means for repair of tires of this class has yet beenprovided which is not open to one or more serious objections, either asto its utility, conveniemce of manipulation, or cost of construction.

My invention provides a tire having a service air-chamber and anemergency-chamber each provided with an inflating-tube and airvalve, allarranged and combined in such a simple manner that the tire iseconomical in construction, readily manipulated. for repair, and asserviceable when repaired as it was prior to the puncture.

In carrying out my invention I combine with the inner layer of the tubea strip of rubber approximately half the width of the inner layer andsecured thereto in such manner that one wall of the inner layer of thetube constitutes a flexible diaphragm, which, together with the stripapplied thereto, forms the service air-chamber, while the inner layerconstitutes the emergency-chamber, each of said chambers being providedwith suitable means for its inflation, and when the strip which thusconstitutes the normal tread of the tire is punctured the other chamberis inflated, thus distending the diaphragm and restoring the tire to itsnormal inflated condition.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1and 2 are sectional elevations of separate sections or parts of a tire.Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections of the tire at the point where theemergency-chamber valve is applied thereto, showing the diaphragm in twopositions and the valve-tube in broken elevation. Fig. 5 is a similarview showing the service-chamber valve-tube. Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive,show various stages of the manufacture of the tire.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the inner ply or layer, composedof such percentage of rubber as to make it capable of holding air underpressure.

11 represents a layer of fabric, and outer layer, of rubber.

In constructing the tire I first take a strip of material, which is toconstitute the inner layer 10 of the tube, and either before or after itis brought to the tubular condition apply to one surface thereof, whichis afterward to constitute the rim side of the tire, a patch of canvas13, as shown in Fig. 7, cementing the same at its edges securely to saidsurface. I then apply a strip of rubber 14, of approxi- 'mately half thewidth of thestrip from which the tubular layer 10 is formed, to thesurface of said strip or tube opposite that on which the patch 13 isapplied, cementing the longitudinal edges of the strip 14 to the surfaceof the strip or tube 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and S. Thiscementing or securing is omitted over that part of the surface coveredby the patch 13, and in order to provide an air-inlet space at thispoint I then employ a saddle-piece 15, of rubber, said saddle-piecebeing cemented at its ends, as indicated by the dotted lines 15, to thesurface of the airtube ply 10 and at its edges to the longitudinal edgesof the strip 14. The air-tube for the service-chamber-inflating valve 16is applied to the saddle-piece and communicates with the space beneaththe same, and thereby with the service-chamber 16. At a separated pointin. the tire is provided a second air-tube 17, which communicates withthe emergencychamber 18. Now, assuming that the service air-chamber 16is inflated, as shown in Fig. 3,

12 the and that a puncture occurs, all that is necessary to render thetire serviceable for further immediate use is the inflation of thecmergency-chamber 18 through the tube 17, whereupon the diaphragm 10will be forced into contact with the surface of the strip 14:, thusrestoring the original contour of the tire.

In the foregoing I have omitted the particulardescription of the methodof proced ure subsequent to the uniting of the strip let to the layer10. It will be understood, of course, that after these parts are thusunited the fabric layer 11 and the rubber layer 12 will be applied, andthe tire will then be vulcanized, thus uniting the several layers,except at the point beneath the saddle-piece and except also that inthis process the parts 10 and 14 would only be united at the point wherethey were previously cemented.

A11 important utility in this tire is the simplicity and consequenteconomy of manufacture. It can be very rapidly and cheaply made andrequires no difiicult operation and but little additional material tosupply the emergencychamber. It also enables the valve-tubes to beapplied in a very simple and yet eflicient manner and renders theinflation of the emergency-chamber as easy and as certain as that of theservice-chamber. In this construction also the diaphragm is held untilneeded against the rim side of the tire, while the strip 14. constitutesthe tread portion. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe anymodifications of my invention; but it is obvious that numerousvariations may be made in the structural details illustrated anddescribed.

I have described and shown the saddlepiece connected at its ends to theexposed surface of the inner layer 10 and at its side margins to theedges of the strip 14, thus bridging the space or point where the stripis separated from the tubular layer and constituting, with the uppersurface of the latter, an air-passage the branches of which extendlaterally down the sides of the tube and into the space between thelatter and the strip or annulus. I prefer this construction; but it isobvious that the bridge-piece might be secured to one edge only of thestrip, its other edge, as well as one edge of the strip, being securedto the surface of the tubular layer. It is also obvious that the end ofthe air-tube might be extended over the surface of the inner tubularlayer, and thus provide a duct leading to the service-chamber, orsuchduct or passage might be formed in other ways. The method of manufactureherein described, as well as the article itself, is considered to benovel.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct a tire theair-tube whereof is divided by a diaphragm into two separate chamberswhich are capable of independent inflation, and I therefore make noclaim to such invention broadly, my present invention relating to theparticular manner in which the division of the air-tube is accomplishedand the separate in fiat ion of its chambers rendered possible.

I claim- 1. A pneumatic tire having an interior continuous tubular layerof material capable of holding air under pressure, in combination with astrip of similar material applied to the outer surface of said tubularlayer and having its longitudinal edges secured thereto except at onepoint, a bridge-piece secured at said point to the surface of thetubular layer and also to the strip, an inflation-tube communicatingwith the space thus provided between the bridge-piece and the tubularlayer, and a second inflation-tube communicating with the interior ofsaid tubular layer, substantially as described.

2. Apneumatic tire having an interior continuous tubular layer ofmaterial capable of holding air under pressure, in combination with astrip of similar material applied to the outer surface of said tubularlayer and having its longitudinal edges secured thereto, except at onepoint, a bridge or saddle piece at said point having its transversemargins secured to the tubular layer, and its longitudinal marginssecured to the free edges of the strip, an inflation-tube communicatingwith the space thus provided between the bridgepiece and the tubularlayer, and a second inflation-tube communicating with the interior ofsaid tubular layer, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described improvement in the art of making pneumatic tiresand providing them with a service air-chamber and an emergencyairchamber, which consists in forming a layer of material into acontinuous tube and applying thereto a strip of material by cementing orotherwise securing its longitudinal edges to said tubular member, exceptat one point at each margin, then securing a bridge or saddle piece atits ends to the surface of said tube and at its margins to the edges ofsaid strip, applying suitable inflation-tubes to the saddle and to thetubular body and uniting the secured edges by vulcanization,substantially as described.

4:- The hereinbefore-described improvement in the art of makingpneumatic tires, which consists in forming a continuous tube of rubber,applying thereto a strip of rubber by securing the longitudinal edges ofsaid strip to the sides of the tube, except at two opposite points,uniting the tube and strip at these points by means of a saddle-piece orbridge of vulcanizable material having its transverse margins secured tothe tube and its longitudinal margins secured tothe strip,

connecting an inflation-tube to said saddlepiece and a secondinflation-tube to the tube and subsequently uniting the several piecesby vulcanization or otherwise, substantially as described.

5. The hereinbefore-described improvement in the art of making pneumatictires,

which consists in forming a continuous tube of rubber, applying theretoa strip of rubber by securing the longitudinal edges of said strip tothe sides oi: the tube, except at two opposite points, and uniting thetube and strip at these points by means of a saddlepiece or bridge ofvulcanizable materialhaving its transverse-margins secured to the tubeand its longitudinal margins secured to the strip, connecting aninflation-tube to said saddle-piece, providing an external tubularcovering of fabric and rubber and an inflation-tube communicating withthe first-mentioned rubber tube and uniting the several parts, except atthe body of the saddle-piece, by "ulcanization, substantially asdescribed.

ARTHUR H. MARKS.

Witnesses:

A. H. NOAH,

W. B. Muumn.

